Atavistia/The Winter Way(Reforged)/Blood Blast Distribution/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Vancouver  B.C,  Canada's  Atavistia  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  symphonic  and  melodic  mixture  of  black, death  and  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "The  Winter  Way  (Reforged)"  which  will be  released  on  December  12th  by  Blood  Blast  Distribution  and  is  also  a re-recorded  version  of  their  2020  album.

  Nature  sounds  and  symphonic  orchestration  starts  off  the  album  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death metal  growls  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  Spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  tracks  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Back  up  shouts  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  some  clear  singing  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  album  as  well  as  the  songs  also  mixing  in  elements  of  folk  music.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  one  track  also  bringing  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature,  winter  and  Scandinavian  Mythology. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another4  great  sounding  recording  from  Atavistia  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  symphonic  black,  death  and  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "From  The  Ancient  Stones"  "Eternal  Oceans"  and  "The  Winter  Way".  8  out  of  10.

 

1. linktr.ee

     

Starscourge/Conqueror Of The Stars, Betwixt Sundered Seraphim, The Lands Between Bleed/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Starscourge  are  an  international  duo  with  embers  from  Sweden  and  Singapore  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2025  album  "Conqueror  Of  the  Stars,  Betwixt  Sundered  Seraphim,  The  Lands  Between  Bleed"  which  will  be  released  on  December  19th.

  Spoken  words  and  keyboards  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  vocals  also  add  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  lot  of  blast   beats  can  be  heard.

  Tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  clear  vocals  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  power  metal  when  they  are  utilized.

  At  times  the  music  also  adds  in  some  symphonic  touches  and  a  couple  of  songs  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  as  well  as  the  closing  tracks  also  being  a  Slayer  cover.   The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  fantast,  mythology  and  the  epic  grandeur  of  the  Elden  Ring.

  In  my  opinion  Starscourge  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  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Blessings  Upon  the  Golden  Throne"  "Destiny's  Dastardly  Dynasty"  "Together,  My  Serpentine's  Valentine"  and  "Spirit  in  Black".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/Official.Starscourge/

https://www.instagram.com/starscourge.official/  

Hexagraf/Walsen van hoop/Void Wanderer Productions/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Hexagraf  are  a  duo  from  the  Netherlands  that  plays  an  atmospheric,  progressive  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Walsen  van  hoop"  which  will b e  released  on  December  18th  by  Void  Wanderer  Productions.

  Coughs  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  darker  and  heavier  direction  while  elements  of  doom  metal  are  also  added  into  the  slower  parts  of  the  recording.    Symphonic  keyboards  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  and  the  vocals  bring  in a   mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  songs.

  Whispered  vocals  and  spoken  words  are  also  utilized  briefly  along  with  some  of  the  songs  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  album  also  has  its  progressive  moments  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style,  throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  clear  singing  is  also  added  towards  the  end.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Dutch  and  cover  the  dark  underbelly  of  industry.

  In  my  opinion  Hexagraf  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric,  progressive  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Stoflongen"  and  "Bitjend  in  de  geestvan  productie".  8  out  of  10.

 https://voidwanderer.com/product/hexagraf-walsen-van-hoop-cd-preorder/

Cultic/Lore/Eleventh Key Records/2025 Full Length Rvbiew

 

  Cultic  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death  metal  and  dungeon  synth  with  the  energy  of  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Lore"  which  was  released  by  Eleventh  Key  Records.

  Dungeon  synth  style  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  The  slower  parts  of  the  recording  also  add  in  elements  of  doom  metal  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  more  of  a  first  wave  black  metal  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  The  music  also  adds  in  the  heaviness  of  old  school  death  metal  while  all  of  the  songs  also  have  interludes  in  between  them.  Most  of  the  album  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  early  90's  era  along  with  the  recording  also  capturing  the  energy  of  punk  at  times  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  remaining  very  true  to  an  old  school  direction.

  Spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars.  As  the  album  progresses  some  of  the  vocals  also  bring  in  the  grim  atmosphere  of  second  wave  black  metal ,  one  song  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  battle  samples  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cultic  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death  emtal,  punk  and  dungeon  synth  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nomad"  "Night  Grifter"  "ancinet  Kings"  and  "Dungeon  Wench".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/PoaISq9D8oc

https://linktr.ee/culticband

https://cultic.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/culticband

https://www.instagram.com/culticband

  

The Panther Caps/Graven Images/The Swamp Records/2025 Full Length Review

 

  This  is  the  final  review  of  a  recording  from  Alaska's  solo  project  The  Panther  Caps  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  psychedelic  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  stoner,  doom  metal  and  hardcore  and  the  album  was  released  in  2025  by  The  Swamp  Records  and  called  'Graven  Images".

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  are  also  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the  vocals  bringing  in  a  mixture  of  clear  stoner  rock  vocals  and  black  metal  screams.

  A  lot  of  the  music  also  has  roots  in  the  70's  and  80's  while  also  sounding  very  modern  at  the  same  time.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  album  also  capturing  the  aggression  of  hardcore  at  times,  all  of  the  drum  beats  are  also  programmed  as  well  as  the  whole  album  also  sticking  to  a  heavier  direction  and  the  closing  track  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  On  this  recording  The  Panther  Caps  continues  to  expand  on  his  psychedelic  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  stoner,  doom  metal  and  hardcore.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Horror  and  Humor  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  The  Panther  Caps  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  psychedelic,  black,  sludge,  stoner,  doom  metal  and  hardcore,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Feed  The  Black  Masses"  "Waste  of  Suffering"  "Humans  Have  A  Right  To  Hedonism"  and  "Graven  Images".  8  out  of  10.

  https://thepanthercaps.bandcamp.com/album/graven-images-lp-3 

The Panther Caps/2 Satanic 3 Panic/The Swamp Records/2025 Full Length Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Alaska's  solo  project  The  Panther  Caps  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  psychedelic  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  stoner,  doom  metal  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2025  album  "@  Satanic  2  Panic"  which  was  released  by  The  Swamp  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy 70's  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  elements  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal.  Vocals  range  from  clear  singing  to  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  the  aggression  of  hardcore.  At  times  the  album  also  captures  a  psychedelic  atmosphere  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  some  80's  influences  as  well  as  remaining  very  modern  at  the  same  time  and  all  of  the  tracks  stick  to  a  heavier  direction.

  On  this  recording  The  panther  Caps  mixed  black,  sludge,  stoner,  psychedelic  doom  metal  with  hardcore  to  create  a  very  heavy  release  that  also  captures  a  lot  of  retro  vibes.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism  and  Horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Panther  Caps  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge,  stoner,  psychedelic  doom  metal  and  hardcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Goddess  To  Destroy  The  Earth"  "Shadow  Magus"  "2  Satanic  2  Panic"  and  "Scarecrow  lover".  8  out  of  10.

  https://thepanthercaps.bandcamp.com/album/2-satanic-2-panic-lp-1      

Sardonic Allegiance Interview

 

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

Yes, so Sardonic Allegiance was formed in 2009 as a duo black metal project. It was basically an idea of me and drummer Griendhakker to get together and write black metal songs. It all went pretty quick. We wrote 5 songs in a rehearsal room together and then recorded them and released the EP ‘Germania Inferior’ in 2010, the title being a reference to the history of our native country, The Netherlands.

After we released the first EP, I had written several new riffs and song ideas. However, the project went on hold around 2011 as Griendhakker was too busy with other projects. So I put the new music away. Years later I went through the material again and realized: ‘This is too good not to release’. So I started to compose a proper full-length album based on that material plus new parts. That material became Coast I, released April 2025, and Coast II, to be released in January 2026.

  

2.In 2026 you have a new ep coming out, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

I think you can still hear it’s the same band, but the ‘Coast’ material is more mature. Although still very aggressive, the compositions are more sophisticated, more melodic and the arrangements more layered, with added keyboards for example. I also play more leads and guitar solos on the new albums. Also, on ‘Germania Inferior’ Griendhakker took on vocal duties. He did a fine job, but he is not a real singer. On ‘Coast I’ I hired a proper vocalist, Dictator, who did a superb job. Lastly, the overall production is of a higher quality. I have my own personal studio now where I track all the music, and much of the engineering was done with help from professional producer Sebastiaan de Rooy (Signs of Life Audio) who also mixed and mastered the album. You can really hear the time and effort that Sebastiaan put into it because this is not easy music to produce, given all the layers and arrangements, but he did a fantastic job. 

3.From 2010 to 2025 there was no new music being released, can you tell us a little bit more about the 15 year break?

Well, first of all, as I mentioned, Griendhakker did not have time anymore to continue his participation in the project. At the same time, my own private life got busier with work so I also did not pursue new music for a number of years. Also, you have to understand that Griendhakker is a good friend of mine, so when he kind of quit, I wasn’t very motivated to continue the project at first. Then it took even longer because when I finally did pick up the production for ‘Coast’ I suffered a nasty injury in the middle of the pre-production stage - I had to put the project on hold once again for another couple of years because of that.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the project has explored so far with the music?

My lyrics are a mix of personal subjects and social critique. They deal with topics such as not finding your way in life and mental resilience. There are also many political topics that I address though in a lyrically poetic and obscured way. 

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Sardonic Allegiance’?

I think cynicism (= ‘sardonic’) is a part of life and definitely a part of black metal as a state of mind and subculture. The name reflects that and it also shines through my lyrics which are a mix of personal issues and social critique, not the typical ‘dungeons and dragons’ stuff you hear a lot or satanic subjects.

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

The cover art was done by Gustavo Sazes who did an amazing job. If I remember correctly, it kind of represents the meaning of the third song on Coast I, ‘Delusions Cataclysmic’ where higher forces pour their poisonous and delusional ideas into the heads of the common folk.   

7.The last 2 releases were self released while you have worked with a label in the past, are you open to working with another label again in the future?

Well, never say never, but at this point I don’t see the added value of a deal with a record label to be honest. I am open to everything but a record deal comes with obligations and you give away the rights to your music. Besides, I doubt any record label would have interest in a band that doesn’t have a structural fan base and doesn’t play live. 

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

Very favorable actually. In black metal, there will always be negativity but reactions I get personally or on the internet are mainly positive. People dig the mix I present between aggression and melody. I think many bands now have specialized in one or the other but I am very much inspired by the scandinavian black metal scene that emerged in  the 1990s. A lot of those bands had that perfect mix of evil atmosphere, aggression and melody. This is also something I strive for with Sardonic Allegiance added with some cinematic ingredients.

 

9.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

For now, I am happy with releasing EP’s. I do everything myself and producing this kind of music is not easy and takes a lot of time and effort. I do have a lot of new material which I will be working on next year. But you never know, maybe there will be a full-length in the future. 

10.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?

Like I said, I am very much inspired by the 90s black metal scene. But that is not sto ay I simply copy that style. Sardonic Allegiance also had more modern influences, though maybe those are not coming from black metal music as such. The layered sound and cinematic feel I create also comes from an inspiration of classical music. I must say I still listen mainly to bands that emerged in the 90s- and not just black metal. 

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

Many thanks for your interest in Sardonic Allegiance and I hope your readership will enjoy both Coast I and II. Hails!!

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