Vanaheim/Roede voor de Borst/Fireflash Records/2026 Full Length Review

  Vanaheim  are  a  band f rom t he  Netherlands  that  plays  an  epic  form  of  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2026  album  "Roede  voor  de  Borst"  which  will  be  released in  September b y  Fireflash  Records.

  Folk  instruments  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Harsh  vocals  bring  in  a  style  similar  to  black  metal  while  the  riffs  also  add  in a   lot  of  melody  along  with  the  recording  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  symphonic  style  orchestration  and  the  riffs  also  add  in a   lot  of  melody.

  Elements  of  death  metal are  also  utilized  at  times  while  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  album  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Choir  vocals  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  spoken  words  also  being  used  briefly.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  clear  singing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  introduced  towards  the  end.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Dutch  and  is  a  concept  album  based  on  untold  legends  from t he  19th  century.  

  In  my  opinion  Vanaheim  are  a  very  great  sounding  epic  folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Geestenmist"  and  "Roede  voor  de  Borst".  8  out  of  10.

  https://vanaheim.nl/

https://www.facebook.com/VanaheimBand/

http://instagram.com/vanaheimofficial/

https://www.tiktok.com/@vanaheimband

https://vanaheim-official-merch.myshopify.com/

Hrafnablót/Guðlaugar Saga/2026 Full Length Review

 

  Hrafnablót  are  a  band  from  Iceland  that  plays  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  self  released  2026  album  "Guðlaugar  Saga"  which  will  be  released  in  September.

  Nature  sounds  and  whispers  start  off  the  album  while  spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  going  into a   heavier  direction.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  clear  female  vocals  are  also  utilized  at  times.

  Folk  instruments  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  album  while  some  of  the  tracks  also  add  in  clear  male  vocals.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  a  couple  of  songs  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  when  harsh  vocals  are  utilized  they  also  add  in a   mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

 One  song  also introduces  acoustic  guitars  and  keyboards  into  the  music  and  most  of  the  recording  sticks  to  a  mid  tempo  direction  with  some  symphonic  touches  along  with t he  closing  track  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length. The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Icelandic  and  is  a  concept  album  based  upon  the  Sagas,  Magick  and  Folklore  of  their  homeland.  

  In  my  opinion  Hrafnablót  are  a  very  great  sounding  folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  'Dísablót "  "Nornarheimt"  and  "Örlagavegur".  8  out  of  10.

  https://hrafnablot.is/​

​https://www.facebook.com/hrafnablot/  

      

Northern Oak/Reforged/2026 Full Length Review

  Northern  Oak  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  a  progressive  mixture  of  folk  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2026  album  "Reforged".

  Folk  instruments  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  recording  at  times.  Female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Harsh  vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams  while  keyboards  are  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  album.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  recording  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  blast beats  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Some  of  the  tracks  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  growls,  one  song  also  adds  in a   brief  use  of  clear  male  vocals  and  spoken  words.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature,  philosophy,  struggle  and  introspection  themes.   

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Northern  Oak  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  folk  and  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Dark  Of  Midsummer"  "Gawain"  and  "In  These  Hills".  8  out  of  10.

  Official website: http://music.northernoak.co.uk

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Northern.Oak

AntiMozdeBeast Interview

 

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

I have been working on a new full-length album. It isn’t necessarily near completion however it is coming together very well and developing smoothly.

2.You have a new album coming out in September, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Every record of mine seems to tell a story. If you mean lyrically this album is a continuation of the story telling process. If you mean instrumentals, I applied rawer electric guitar than in my previous work and produced it so that it sounded more polished but still have that intensity my albums usually do. Every one of my albums is esthetically different than the previous whether it be the instrumentations or the general concept of the album.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as a songwriter over the years?

Since I've been writing music which began at a very young age I began with general knowledge of music theory. I would just play simple chord progressions and the themes of my music were about my romantic relationships and relationships with people. Over the years I have gradually become more familiar with the mysteries of music as well as the technical techniques of songwriting in particular.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'AntiMozdeBeast'?

Anti derived from Antichrist, Moz derived from Mozart because I believe his music is the foundation of all heavy music and de Beast was for added effect. I decided not only to name this project AntiMozdeBeast because of those key elements but because of my personal life. My mother was the 21st child of 21 children who was practicing to become a nun. I was born on June 6th and had my first open heart surgery at age 3. In my adolescence I believed I was destined to be some sort of spiritual entity that would change the course of humanity. Mind you I was very young and naive.

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

My brother passed away a few years ago and the vortex in the tombstone was symbolic for the unknown universe that is unavoidable once someone has found their way into death. As well as the inexplicable truth that life experience can answer some of those mysteries for those who seek it.

6.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?

I prefer to work alone. However, I do prefer to work with others live.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

I am currently unsigned and am not particularly searching for a label but if I do receive any interest I would take it into account.

8.Since 2019 you have released a good amount of material, do you spend a lot of your time writing and creating music?

I do, mainly every day, while most people are busy with their own daily routines I am working and writing poetry, lyrics and music.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of metal and industrial?

On a world-wide scale? I have been featured in many publications and podcasts around the globe. I'm not certain as to my position on how followers or fans generally perceive or feel about my music as of yet.

10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

I will always be a musician. I'm not quite sure what you mean by this question, the context I mean. E.g., will I develop new musical tastes, will my genres become broader, will my music become more popular? All I know is that I want to leave a body of work behind so as to be remembered.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles you are currently listening to nowadays?

I listen to a broad variety of musical genres including aggrotech, industrial metal, EDM, rap, rock, classical metal, black metal, the list goes on.

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

Thank you for taking the time and consideration of including AntiMozdeBeast in your publication.

https://linktr.ee/AntiMozdeBeast

Duskseeker Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?  

Duskseeker is my solo black metal project. I am currently based in Denton, Texas. Duskseeker started in 2015 as a musique concréte black metal project. I would play just guitar by myself and do improvised free improv textural experimental black metal with lots of guitar pedal experimentation. That sound was captured on the album Black Wolf Nightmare (2017). Over time, the project has evolved to have a more "full band" sound, but I am recording all the instruments (though I perform guitar and vocals live with backing tracks). Spiralscape (2021) was the first album to go into this territory, and it had styles of symphonic black metal, ambient, prog rock, doom metal, and free improv with the incorporation of synthesizers and drum machines. The Maw is my latest album (July 2026), and it hones in on a more aggressive, industrial, synth-backed sound with symphonic black metal and death metal elements. 

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

It dials up the aggression more than my past works. The same musical freedom is still present, but with a more tightened industrial symphonic black metal sound with better production, more aggressive riffs and song writing, harder vocals, and more synths. 

3.Some of your lyrics cover Gnosticism themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interestt in this topic?

I am not religious per se, but the world of the Gnostics is potent as an artistic tool and literary allegory. The world of Duskseeker that I have created borrows from the Gnostics the idea that a false, malevolent god is in charge of the world and this god is concealing beings of the earth from knowing real spiritual truth (gnosis). I take this idea and use it to critique the power structures of our real world and as a mode of self-empowerment. 

4.Lyrically you also cover 90's video games, which games have had an influence on the songwriting?

Final Fantasy VI and VII, Xenogears, Half Life, Elden Ring, Chrono Trigger, Dark Souls, Metroid, and King's Field are the primary video game influences on The Maw and Spiralscape, but there are others at well that probably came into play that I'm less conscious of or not recalling at the moment. 

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Duskseeker'?

It means a lot of different things to me personally, but to others it can mean something else. Some have told me that it reminds them of vampires, while others have said it reminds them of cowboys. I've heard other takes as well. These are interesting interpretations, and like all art, it is open to interpretation. 

6.Can you tell us a little bit about the artwork that is presented on the ep cover?

This is the prompt I gave to Devon Grey (Weeping Wyrm), the artist who created the art :

"I want the cover to feature as its subject a cybernetic knight/dragoon with either a sword or halberd in front of a cityscape with lightning in the background. The cityscape has many ruined buildings, but has one big gothic castle but with some spires or something indicating that it might be something futuristic. The art would seem to indicate that the giant castle has sucked the life out of the rest of the city and is some sort of nexus of malevolence. Perhaps the lightning is between the knight and the cityscape. I know this sounds a lot more sci-fi than what you probably usually do, but I like the idea of it being in your style and letting your style convey a distant dark fantasy land that may or may not be like our world and just subtly convey a sci-fi element by the fact of its otherworldliness."

7.With this recording you record most of the music by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians again in the future or do you prefer to work solo?

I am currently working with other musicians on the full length Duskseeker album that I am recording. I will also be working with somebody else on the mixing and mastering for that album as well. I would like to assemble a full live band for Duskseeker in the future. I do have some friends who have said they are interested in participating in that, but we haven't gotten together to make it happen quite yet.

8.With the live line up what are some of the best shows that you have played so far an also how would you describe your stage performance?

I really liked a lot of the shows that I did on The Maw tour I did in August. Every time I tour I feel like I learn something new and get better at touring. I've had many good shows on tours in the past, but I'd say this tour was the most successful for Duskseeker as a whole so far. When I play live, I dress in an outfit that consists of a black veil that goes over my eyes, an aluminum-plated pauldron (used by real practitioners of modernistic forms of ninjutsu), gauntlets, leggings, tactical boots, and a thin scarf that I use as a cape. All in black. I play guitar and do vocals, and I play to a backing track. I also enjoy adding free improv to some of the songs. Mostly in guitar solo sections these days, but sometimes I will improvise a whole section of the set, if the spirit moves me. Improvisation and experimentation are pillars in the foundations of Duskseeker, and I continue to embrace that as the sound of the project evolves. 

9.On the ep you also done a 'Nocturnus' cover, what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?

I really like the Nocturnus album, The Key, and that song resonates with me on a musical level as well as a lyrical level. I felt that the themes behind that song are in line with the material present on the rest of my album, The Maw. Nocturnus is also a very important band in terms of helping pioneer extensive use of synthesizers in extreme metal, and for that, I felt like paying tribute to them in a Duskseeker album was appropriate. RIP Mike Browning of Nocturnus and Morbid Angel, who died shortly before The Maw was released. 

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of symphonic black and death metal?

No complaints so far that I'm aware of! Everyone I've seen or talked to has had very nice things to say, which is great. I am grateful for the positive reception. 

11. What is going on with your other musical projects these days?

Special Agent, my digital hardcore/postindustrial band has an EP up our sleeves ready to go that we are still figuring out release plans for. BONE LEECH, my sludge metal band, just tracked our debut album, which will hopefully be released in 2027. Oil Spill (black metal) has chatted about trying to get together and write sometime, but we are all collectively very busy with other obligations/projects/etc. I have thoughts for other projects as well, but those are more in the long term after I finish recording the next Duskseeker album. 

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Some of my biggest musical influences are, in no particular order, Nobuo Uematsu, Nine Inch Nails, Death, Type O Negative, Emperor, Pink Floyd, Kraftwerk, Aphex Twin, Johnny Cash, Scott Walker, Secret Chiefs 3, Frank Zappa, Slowdive, The Doors, The Cure, Dead Can Dance, Motoi Sakuraba, Yasunori Mitsuda, Michiru Yamane, Gyorgy Ligeti, and the list goes on. I still keep a lot of these artists in regular rotation. Some of my more recent regular rotations have been Exxûl, Blood Incantation, the Final Fantasy VIII OST, Lycia, Youth Code, the A Fox In Space OST, Madeline Goldstein, SRSQ, the Einhander OST, Enya, and Char-X, among many others. 

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

Be on the lookout for material, as well as more out of town shows. Thank you for your time. Stay cool 😎⚔️👽

https://www.facebook.com/dvskseeker/ 

Sigh/Goh-ka/Peaceville Records/2026 Full Length Review

  Japan's  Sigh  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  experimental  and  avant  garde  style  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  album  "Goh-ka"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Peaceville  Records.

  A  very  avant  garde  and  experimental  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  programmed  beats  and  keyboards  onto  the  recording  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  When  guitar   solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  Asian  folk  instruments  are  also  used  at  times.  Vocals  are  done  in  more  of  a  grim  black  metal  style  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  clear  singing  is  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  album.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  album  also  having  its  psychedelic  moments.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  adding  in  some  acoustic  guitars.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Japanese  and  cover  the  nine  stages  of  human  decomposition  after  death  according  the  Buddhist  views.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Sigh  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Kuso-shi  1.2  and  3"  "Unpoetenpu" and  "Kuso=shi  8  amd  9  _Mettaijakujo".  8  out  of  10.

  Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music    

   

Labor Of The Negative/The Triumph Of Time And The Disillusioned/I, Voidhanger Records/2026 Full Length Review

  Labor  Of  The  Negative  are  an  international  band  with  members  from  The  United  Kingdom,  Norway  and  Egypt  that  plays  an  avant  garde  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  album  "The  Triumph  Of  Time  And  The  Disillusioned"  which  was  released b y  I,  Voidhanger  Records. 

  A  very  fast  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  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  as  well  as  adding  in  a  lot  of  avant  garde  style  structures  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Clear  singing  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  album  also  adds  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Trumpets  are  also  used  at  times  along  with  some  spoken  words  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing,  one  song  is  also  an  instrumental.

  Labor  Of  The  Negative  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  avant  garde  and  aggressive  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  writings  of  Nietzsche,  Hegel,  Hume,  Kierkegaard,  Epicurus  and  Durkheim.

  In  my  opinion  Labor  of  The  Negative  are  a  very great  sounding  avant  garde  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Epoche  I"  and  "Epoche  VI".  8 out  of  10.

https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-triumph-of-time-and-the-disillusioned