Apolaustic/No Plentitude Without Suffering/Transcending Obscurity Records/2026 FUll Length Review

 

  Apolaustic  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  album  "No  Plentitude  Without  Suffering"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  faster  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  A  lot  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  classic  Swedish  style  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  death  metal  elements,  a  couple  of  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  keyboards  are  also  added  towards  the  end.

  Apolaustic  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic  forms  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Darkness  and  Suffering  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Apolaustic  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  "Devouring  The  Past"  "Shining  Amidst  The  Lights"  and  "Peregrination  Towards  Childhood  Memories".  8  out  of  10.

 Apolaustic Bandcamp

Apolaustic Instagram

    

Mývalyĭr/The Past Tales/2026 Full Length Review

 

  Mývalyĭr  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2026  album  "The  Past  Tales"  which  will  be  released  in  February.

  Stringed  instruments  and  orchestration  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Elements  of  folk  music  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  blast  beats  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Blast  beats  are  also  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  at  times  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls,  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  screams  also  adding  in  touches  of  black  metal  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in certain  sections  of  the  album.

  Spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  album  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  history,  war  and  mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mývalyĭr  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk  and  melodic  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Recollection"  and  "The  Mighty  Never  Fail".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/myvalyir

https://youtu.be/bE1xFsfFZqY

Nightshade/In Essence Divided/my Kingdom Music/2026 Full Length Review

 

  Switzerland's  Nightshade  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  avant  garde  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  dark  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2026  album  "In  Essence  Divided"  which  will b e  released  in  February  by  my  Kingdom  Music.

  An  industrial  style  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  choir  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  while  avant  garde  and  symphonic  sounds  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  Harsh  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  When  clean  playing  is  utilized  it  also  takes  the  music  more  of  a  progressive  direction  along  with  the  album  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  metal  elements,  rap  style  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  on  a  few  tracks  along  with  the  music  also  showing  some  influences  of  70's  progressive  rock  at  times.  Clear  male  and  female  singing  is  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  album  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  a  later  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  wind  instruments,  when  the  recording  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast b eats  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  the  motive  of  cosmologies  told   from  different  world  mythologies.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Nightshade  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde  and  progressive  black  and  dark  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Stateless  Journey"  "Night  Torn"  "Of  Seas  &  Seeds"  and  "Brother  Of  Sleep".  8  out  of  10.

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NightshadeMetal

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nightshademetal

Battlesoul/The Wheel/2026 EP Review

 

   Battlesoul  are  a  band  from  Ontario,  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  pagan  form  of  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2025  ep  "The  Wheel".

  Battle  sounds  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast beats.  Harsh  vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  also  adds  in  the  brutality  of  death  metal   and  the  clear  singing  adds  in  influences  of  pagan  and  power  metal.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style,  folk  instruments  are  also  added  on  a  few  tracks,  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  spoken  words  are  also  added  on  the  closing  track.

  On  this  recording  Battlesoul  takes  melodic  black,  death,  folk,  pagan  and  power  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  very  aggressive  and  diverse  sounding  release.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  pagan  mysticism,  mythology,  history  and  the  eternal  cycle  of  conflict  and  renewal.    

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Battlesoul  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  pagan  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "No  Legacy"  and  "The  Wheel".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/BattlesoulOfficial

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGLXfzKsKSOm1xUpWSYWtwQ

https://battlesoul.bandcamp.com/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4P1Uy9C866snVJngOauZPl

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/battlesoul/659846013

   

Terramorta/The Fading Lumina's Embrace/Magus Pike Records/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Terramorta  are  a  band  from  Portugal  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "The  Fading  Lumina's  Embrace"  which  was  released  by  Magus  Pike  Records.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  takes  the  music  into  a  heavier  direction.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  symphonic  sounds  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  album.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,.

  Spoken  words  and  shouts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing,  a  couple  of  songs  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  clear  singing  which  also  adds  in  an  operatic  touch.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  emotions  and  aspirations  of  man.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Terramorta  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Baba  Yaga"  "Deliberate  Killing  Of  Oneself"  "March  Of  The  Forsaken"  and  "The  Fading  Lumina's  Embrace".  8  out  of  10.

 hkps://terramortaofficial.bandcamp.com/album/the-fading-luminas-embrace  

 hkps://www.facebook.com/terramorta.official : 

hkps://www.instagram.com/terramorta.official/

Velzevul/Pandemonium/Satanath Records/More Hate Productions/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Velzevul  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  very  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Pandemonium"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records  and  More  Hate  Productions.

  A  very  apocalyptic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  symphonic  sounding  keyboards  and  choirs  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized,  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.

  Velzevul  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  symphonic  in  the  mid  90's  tradition.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Demonology,  Luciferian,  Anti  Christian  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vezevul  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nuclear  Snow"  "The  Insignificance  Of  The  Universe"  and  "The  Valley  of  Shadows".  8 out  of  10.

 https://satanath.bandcamp.com/album/sat402-velzevul-pandemonium-2025

Chronicler Of Ardul Interview

 

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the musical project that you play?

I just updated Myrewood and by the time this comes out, Sword of Virné should also be done too. Just some remixing and rebalancing of the music. Currently working on some new music before I really get into the meat of what this project is heading toward.

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

This is much more inline with what you would hear from a soundtrack. There’s bard music, a village track, and a lot of atmospheric tracks that make you feel like you’re in a forest, underground, in a tense moment before things erupt, and some battle songs. So quite different from my previous releases, but rounding out what this project is.

3.On previous recordings you had more of a symphonic and extreme style of metal and on the new album go for more of a folk style, what was the decision behind going into this musical direction?

That’s been the plan for a long time. There are three pillars to the project: metal, stories, and orchestral soundtrack music. Sounds of Ardul is that third pillar to follow the other things I’ve done.

I sort of envision myself like a director without the movie. There’s story and world and characters and epic thematic music and melodic motifs, all that’s missing is the set and actors.

4.All of your lyrics cover fantasy themes, can you tell us a little bit more about how your interest in this topic has evolved over the years?

I fell in love with fantasy a long time ago in middle school. My brother recommended that I read the Dark Elf Trilogy by R.A. Salvatore. From there it was stuff like the Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy, Lord of the Rings, and other stuff. I’m much more of a fantasy nerd than sci-fi or anything else. 

And then along the way I wanted to combine my passions for metal music, fantasy, and music from my favorite video games. All that brought together is the essence of what I do.

5.On the website you also have a couple of novel's written and published, how do these novels fit in with music you create?

The music and story of Myrewood work hand-in-hand. The music gives you the epic cinematic feeling with raw visceral emotion, while the story takes you in deeper into the world and let’s you explore more and learn.

6.You also created your own fantasy universe, can you tell us a lite bit more about this world you create with your writing and also what are you inspirations as a writer?

It all started with the trilogy I’m working toward, and I thought it would be a much better idea to start to build that world before jumping into a monumental project. Myrewood was that first step.

It’s dark fantasy and a bit more old school with only four races: humans, elves, dwarves, and orcs. There’s magic and complications and gods and dangers all around. There was big cataclysmic event that split the world into the continents. And the magic is chaotic, as we saw in Sword of Virné. It’s not safe and can’t be controlled.

Right now I’m just exploring the world and seeing what stories can be told and really making it come alive.

Some of my influences are the Dragon Age games, Dungeons and Dragons, Lord of the Rings, and The Witcher. 

7.With this project you record most of the material by yourself, do you prefer to work solo?

To a certain degree, yes. Like I said before, this is a huge passion project and I like doing much of this myself. However, I can’t do vocals, at least for right now. So I’ve gotten help from great people like Thomas Blanc, Sofia Frasz, and Aaron Johnson III, who I am in a band with called Left After Death. I also worked with Maxwell Aston to do art for me and he did an incredible job.

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

There’s a really cool nature preserve close to where I live. It’s hard to find trees where I am, but this place has some great spots, and I found this cool area with that tunnel sort of bit and thought it would be a great representation of where this next project is going, sort of transporting you to another realm. And I love trees.

9.On the new album you also have a few quests, can you tell us a little bit more about who they are and also their contributions to the recording?

Sofia Frasz from Exiled Hope is a kindred spirit. We both tell stories through our music and incorporate orchestral elements. We had a talk at one point and wanted to collaborate and the time finally came. She did an amazing job.

The other is my vocalist and bass player in Left After Death, Aaron Johnson III. He’s a great guy and super creative, doing other style like goth rock and EDM and his own symphonic metal stuff, so it was pretty obvious to have him do some stuff on my music as well.

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

Reactions have been good! They love it, compared it to other bands like Dimmu Borgir or One Winged Angel from Final Fantasy VII. I recently had one interaction recently where someone said they haven’t heard of blackened death metal and fantasy, so I had to chime in and say, “Hey, I do that! And there’s orchestra stuff too!” I’m glad people are enjoying it and not saying I should give up. haha

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

Just doing more. More music, get that trilogy out, other orchestral stuff, maybe work with other artists and helping them with their music, and doing more collaborations. I got a lot of music friends I want to work with. I always try to improve on what I’ve done before, so that’s the goal as an artist.

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

I’ve been listening to a little more Mental Cruelty, particularly their A Hill to Die Upon Album, as well as some Wormwitch. Just to channel those styles of riffs and be influenced by what they are doing. Then there’s always Shadow of Intent, and I’ve been playing Octopath Traveler 0, and that has great music as well.

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

Thanks for the wonderful questions! I’ve been super busy writing all sorts of stuff and coming up with ideas, so I’ll be working on stuff for a long, long time. 

Official Website: chroniclerofardul.com
Bandcamp: https://chroniclerofardul.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Chronicler-of-Ardul-100063489851273
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chronicler_of_ardul
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ChroniclerOfArdul
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5h3LfVFyzZA7Tl0eBhQxKg
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/chronicler-of-ardul/1678862672
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chronicler_of_ardul