Fallen Letters - A Familiar Absence (Single Review)

Release Date: July 09th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Released. Format: DD

A Familiar Absence - Tracklist

A Familiar Absence

Members

Vocals / Guitars / Synths – Vishal Naidu

Guitars – Aditya Ramesh

Bass – Abhay

Drums – Mukund

Review

Progressive Metallers Fallen Letters blend Prog, Psych, Post-Metal and Alt-Metal into a myriad of different styles that calls upon the likes of OPETH, KATATONIA and Deftones. The band originate from Bangalore, India but on their latest track A Familiar Absence you would think they’re from the Scandinavian or American Metal scenes. As they have quite a highly polished and superbly realized sound that marries the Extreme Metal and Underground Metal worlds superbly well.

The vocals move between Death Growls and Doom Metal surroundings with a violent undercurrent of Thrash and Death Metal appearing the background. The subtle switch to different areas of rock and metal serves Fallen Letters amazingly well. Their 2025 album Mindfractures has a different sound to this track which perhaps allows the band to be quite grounded and progressive with their music. Their sound is quite abstract with small waves of Prog Rock, Psych Rock and modern day Doom transforming into fast-paced and intense instrumental melodies. 

The majority of music that I’ve experienced from the Indian Heavy Metal underground scene has been limited down to a great mix of Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal bands but I was mighty impressed from what I’ve heard from Fallen Letters with their recent album and their latest track A Familiar Absence. It may take a few listens to fully get accustomed to Fallen Letters' way of delivering pounding grooves but it’s a journey worth taking time and time again. 

A Familiar Absence is a great track for the band to introduce themselves with that ultimately leaves you wanting to hear more.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

BLACK ROYAL - Finnish Death-Sludge Quartet Return with New Single and Album on M-THEORY AUDIO

Following the release of their critically acclaimed 2022 album Earthbound, Finnish death-sludge powerhouse Black Royal return with their crushing new single, 'Drown the Seaweed', the first taste of their forthcoming album Abyssian, due this October via M-Theory Audio.

Continuing to refine their devastating blend of sludge metal and the icy ferocity of Scandinavian death metal, Black Royal have forged a sound that is both punishing and immersive. Often described as a collision between Crowbar and Entombed, with Behemoth and Mastodon waiting in the wings, the band deliver a sonic assault that balances crushing heaviness with cinematic atmosphere.

Formed in Tampere, Finland in 2013, Black Royal have established themselves as one of Finland's most formidable heavy acts. Following two acclaimed EPs, their 2018 debut Lightbringer earned widespread praise and appeared on numerous year-end lists thanks to its giant riffs and primal groove. Their sophomore album, Firebride (2020), further sharpened the band's identity, combining suffocating heaviness with memorable hooks and dynamic songwriting. With Earthbound (2022), their first release through M-Theory Audio, the band reached new creative heights, delivering a confident record that balanced aggression with melody while showcasing their continued evolution.

Speaking about the new single, the band explain: "‘Drown the Seaweed’ was born from the idea of crafting something ethereal and weightless – a sonic landscape that drifts like morning mist across a quiet summer lake. As the track unfolds, it dives deeper, with the C section and guitar solos pulling the listener beneath the surface into darker, more immersive waters. The result is a beautifully melancholic piece, balancing atmosphere with a memorable, hook-driven chorus that lingers long after the song fades."

Drawing inspiration from the ancient mystery and power of water, the song explores the world beneath the surface. A realm long associated with fear, reverence and unseen forces. Calm seas and violent storms can prove fatal, serving as a reminder that nature demands respect and that those who underestimate its power may face a cruel fate.

Atmospheric, cinematic and steeped in myth, 'Drown the Seaweed' is accompanied by a striking video created by Markus Vähäaho of RAW•ART Creations, featuring actress Julia Koskimies. The track was recorded with producer Arttu Sarvanne at Studio Watercastle, mixed by Jussi Kulomaa at Metal Mixing and mastered by Jaakko Viitalähde at Virtalähde Mastering. Written by Black Royal, the single encapsulates the band's vision, embracing crushing heaviness, evocative melody and immersive atmosphere in equal measure.

With Abyssian set for release this October, Black Royal continues to push deeper into darker, more atmospheric territory while expanding an already formidable sonic palette. 'Drown the Seaweed' offers a powerful first glimpse of the album's scope and ambition, reaffirming the band's position as one of Finland's most compelling and uncompromising heavy acts.

New album Abyssian is out 30th October 2026 on M-Theory​ Audio | Pre-Order

Links

Bandcamp | Facebook | Web | Instagram

Thanks to Sheltered Life PR for the details.

TORT - Dimonis de la Sauva Negra (Album Review)

Release Date: June 15th 2026. Record Label: Discos Macarras Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Dimonis de la Sauva Negra - Tracklisting

1.Necrophagus Paranoid 07:26

2.Servants of the Antichrist 06:26

3.Dimonis de la Sauva Negra 07:59

4.Sláine 08:51

5.Ningú Fugirà del Coneixedor 08:07

6.Bonus Track 04:59

Members

Xavier Álvarez (vocals)

Sergio Sancho (guitar)

Jordi Boluda (guitar)

Michel Serrano (drums)

Ricard García (bass)

Review

Dimonis de la Sauva Negra is the fourth full length album TORT where they embrace a more brutal and filth-ridden style of Death Metal, Sludge, Doom and Stoner Metal. The record is constantly bleak and full of violent surroundings with TORT where the expands into intense and extreme blasts of SWAMP infused WEEDIAN metal. This is the most violent strain of WEEDIAN METAL you’ll experience with the punishing LOW & SLOW musical methodology that TORT apply to the album.

There’s a great sense of melody being projected from within the album with its more extreme and darker style of music becoming quite progressive throughout the whole album. If you ever wondered what WEEDEATER and BONGZILLA ever sounded like if they crossed paths with the likes of PRIMITIVE MAN and THOU then TORT are the closest you’re likely ever going to get. The nihilistic lyrics are quite uncompromising at the best of times with TORT staying close to their Spanish roots on the majority of the tracks.

 

The vocals from Xavier Álvarez are just gut-wrenching with a demonic presence appearing on every track. Xavier just chews and destroys the musical landscape with his dominating presence where you feel utterly compelled to listen to what he says especially on tracks such as: Necrophagus Paranoid, Servants Of The Antichrist, Sláine and Ningú Fugirà del Coneixedor. The rest of the band provide first rate musical passages that fills the atmosphere with a sense of violent dread that does manifest into sublime Psychedelic instrumental solos which have some NOLA and Southern Metal themes appearing along the way.

Dimonis de la Sauva Negra works best when TORT apply a slower style of Extreme Metal into their music as it builds up a sense of modern day DOOM & GLOOM to the record which is where the most interesting, heaviest and powerful grooves appear. The excellent production values allows TORT to have a commanding presence even when they’re creating and playing new musical themes they haven’t played before which gives Dimonis de la Sauva Negra such an epic cinematic scope compared to their previous albums. 

For a record that’s built on filthy compounds, TORT have pulled out all the stops of building a record that dominates the riff-centric musical landscape that will leave you breathless from start to finish.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Dimonis de la Sauva Negra is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Discos Macarras Records.

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp

Death/Doom/Sludge Metallers DREAD WITCH release video for title track off upcoming album "Cult"

Danish sludge death doomsters DREAD WITCH have just released a video for the title track off their upcoming album CULT - the follow-up to the band's highly acclaimed debut Tower of the Severed Serpent from 2023.

A cornucopia of seriously heavy, low tuned riffs and mean vocals, the song "Cult" pushes the listener into the horror darkness of a terrible occult nightmare infested with serpents, witches and human sacrifices.

The video was directed, lighted and shot by DREAD WITCH and edited by the band's bassist Leifur Nielsen.

Watch video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UPaMIQJxm4

About new album CULT

Produced, mixed and mastered by none other than Tue Madsen (Meshuggah, Belphegor etc.), CULT features 36 minutes of dynamic and deliciously messy doom metal spread across eight pummeling tracks that cater to fans of multilayered cinematic doom of the heaviest kind.

"CULT" will be out October 31st on LP via DHU Records, CD via Bottomless Pit and digital via Gateway Music.

About DREAD WITCH

DREAD WITCH was formed in Denmark in 2023 by ex-members of Scamp, Horned Almighty, Stone Cadaver and The World State for the sole purpose of creating heavy and dark doom metal under the influence of horror literature, cult movies and bands like Pink Floyd and Triptykon.

DREAD WITCH create Boschian landscapes of doom that, as RockHard Italy wrote, "captures the listener in a magnetic whirlpool that is difficult to escape".

Members

Mikael Rise - vocals and rhythm guitar
Dennis Larsen - drums
Jesper Kragh - lead and rhythm guitars
Leifur Nielsen - bass and backing vocals
Andreas Cadaver - rhythm and lead guitars

Links

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dreadwitch

L.M.I. - V (EP Review)

Release Date: June 19th 2026. Record Label: HPGD Productions. Formats: DD

V - Tracklisting

1.Feelin' Tired 

2.Wings of Misery

3.Strangling a Broken Dream

4.Living Fear

5.Fever Dream in a Golden Cage

Review

V is the latest EP from Sludge/Punk/Stoner Metal upstarts L.M.I. and is the first release I’ve actually listened to in over five years since I last featured them on the blog. Since that time the band have released a full length album which didn’t really fully connect with me but their latest record V I have a lot of time for. As they bring a certain Death Metal charge to their music that can also be quite grindcore based which you’ll fully experience within the brutal opening song of Feelin’ Tried.

The song has a collection of brutal beatdowns, thuggish drums, sludgy guitars and abstract psychedelic passages which feels like a million light years away from their earlier Doom/Stoner Rock orientated records. This is perhaps down to the band maturing over the years and touring with heavy hitters such as Ken Mode, Whores, Full Of Hell, Cancer Bats and Necrot. That's a dazzling mix of great names which feels like it’s moved into their creative outlook for this record alone.

L.M.I. display a varying sense of Industrial Metal throughout the EP which comes fully into focus on tracks such as Wings Of Misery, Strangling A Broken Dream and Fever Dreams In A Golden Cage all allowing the band to play their subversive blend of Hardcore Punk, Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal melodies. The whole thing is vicious with an utter distrust and disdain for modern life and authority. The production values whilst not the most perfect environment, they still get the job down of allowing L.M.I. to sound fucking sublime within the most aggressive and violent aspects of the whole EP. 

There are moments where L.M.I. show flashes of their old creative identity with some classic High On Fire riffing methodology in the most straight forward sounds contained within the EP. V has a lot of different musical Doomed Out mechanics holding everything together which showcases the fine musical evolution that L.M.I. have experienced over the last decade or so.

This is their most violent and ultimately rewarding record they have released to date with a NO FUCKS GIVEN attitude that should allow L.M.I. to perhaps gain a greater following within the underground scene and perhaps even reward them with a bigger following within the Extreme Metal scene at the same time.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Cobra Czar - Moral Corruption (EP Review)

Release Date: May 29th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Moral Corruption - Tracklisting

1.Stomper 03:00

2.To Oblivion 03:38

3.Stab 04:24

Members

 

Mike Fisketti — vocals

Tim Sieler — guitar

Mike Van Heel — guitar

Chris Lyons — bass

Timothy Java — drums

Review

Moral Corruption is the latest EP from Death/Groove/Sludge Metal destroyers Cobra Czar which serves as an opening gateway to their upcoming debut full length album Blinded By Power. This EP is a fucked up and brilliantly heavy use of different Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal passages that’s held together by a brutal use of Death Metal and Grooved Metal mechanics. There’s some warped Psychedelic and Cosmic sounds being used in the background. 

You can hear influences from the likes of GOJIRA, Mastodon, Lamb Of God, VOIVOD and Metallica but Cobra Czar is not afraid by injecting that great use of Doom Metal and Stoner Metal melodies along the way. The music is brutally exhausting both physically and mentally which is thanks to the brilliant opening track Stomper putting the listener through their HEAVY METAL paces from start to finish.

Cobra Czar makes a great use of beat downs, thrash beats and slamming instrumental jams on this EP which sees their music moving between Old School Heavy Metal and Modern Day Ideas that is wonderfully subversive at the same time. The vocals from Mike Fisketti are superb, ranging from Death Metal, Hardcore and Extreme Metal which manage to stay superbly understandable even with my advancing years listening to heavy metal.

The other two tracks Oblivion and Stab allow Cobra Czar to fully explore their extreme style of Heavy Metal to great effect with the band covering almost every aspect of the underground scene with a great sense of creativity and riff-driven brutality that leaves you wanting more. The sheer level of VOLUME that Cobra Czar achieves within each individual track whilst playing some massive sound Progressive Metal energy makes them a real force to be truly reckoned with.

If you like your Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal played with a NO FUCKS GIVEN attitude then Cobra Czar are the band for you and I can’t wait to hear their upcoming debut album. These guys are the real deal!!!

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

ỤBỤRỤ - ỤBỤRỤ (Album Review)

Release Date: 15th May 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD

ỤBỤRỤ - Tracklisting

1.Butchered 05:55

2.In Tatters 04:02

3.HSPC 03:55

4.Rotting Flesh 05:08

5.Shaman 06:31

6.An Autophage 05:21

7.An Omniphage 05:47

8.Oblivion 08:52

Members

Joe - Guitar & Lead Vox

Isaac - Bass & Additional Vox

Przemek - Drums & Percussion

Review

Death/Doom/Sludge Metallers ỤBỤRỤ is the type of debut album that you can only listen to when you’re completely pissed off at the world or in total despair with the misery going on around you. The record isn’t a pretty sight with ỤBỤRỤ playing a chaotic and violent style of underground metal that revels within its Death Metal atrophy that acts as the brutal creative glue holding everything together.

ỤBỤRỤ play some intense and turbo charged DEATH METAL beats and breakdowns on this record with the horrible vocals coming from Joe and Isaac at different times on the record. The mood is always helped along by a miserable stench of Doom/Sludge Metal with some great moments of Psychedelic kinetic energy which gives ỤBỤRỤ a highly intelligent style of delivering their music to modern day audience.

This is very much a product of the DIY recording scene with the lo-fi recording techniques and production values that the band use to capture their music and it showcases a band who could be classed as a work in progress but at least they have the tunes and threatening grooves to back up their great talent.

The album can be quite progressive within the longer tracks with ỤBỤRỤ showcasing a great style of vivid imagination and musical composition on tracks such as Butchered, In Tatters, Rotting Flesh, Shaman and Oblivion being the main standouts here. ỤBỤRỤ stay close to the EXTREME METAL way of life with brief excursions into Thrash Metal, Crust Punk and the good old fashioned style of modern day Sludge Metal that gives the band an unpredictable quality.

The sound can be quite disjointed, fragmented and superbly distorted but the experimental quality allows ỤBỤRỤ to play like a a force of nature especially within the longer tracks on the album.

The lo-fi production values start to lose their way towards the end, however, there’s still plenty of great moments for ỤBỤRỤ to entice you with before everything is said and done. For a debut album, ỤBỤRỤ have more than enough right to build up a loyal and dedicated following within the Doom/Sludge Metal underground scene. 

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

LinkTree | BandCamp

Blunt Knife Castration - Blood & Oil (Album Review)

Release Date: February 27th 2026. Record Label: Remorseless Records. Formats: CD/DDl

Blood & Oil. - Tracklisting

1.Miasma

2.Gunshot Selfie

3.Degeneration

4.Lone

5.Guilt Pig 

6.Swallow

7.Play Victim 

8.Blood & Oil

9.Menial Mutt

10.Coward

11.Skinny Fingers

Review

Blood & Oil is the devastating and brutal second album from Sludge Metal collective Blunt Knife Castration where you can tell by both the band name and album title that this is going to be a brutal time. As the band focus upon playing violent Sludge Metal sounds that’s paired up with traces of Doom, Noise, Grind, Crust Punk and Experimental beats. Influenced by the legendary Eighties Video Nasties Scene from the UK and other violent extreme acts of the same time, this record is not for the faint hearted but Blunt Knife Castration know hows to play a punishing blend of Sludge Metal with a lot of heavy grooves and soundclips into the mix.

Coming across a heavier, filthier and more intense version of fellow UK Doom/Sludge Metal collective TORSO, but this time round Blunt Knife Castration causes more devastation and musical carnage with extreme blasts of Sludge Metal running amok. The Crust Punk vibe comes into play very early on within the tracks of Miasma, Gunshot Selfie and Degeneration.

From that moment the record never lets up with the music being quite unsettling and extremely uncomfortable especially with the harsh vocals and screams leading the way. However, there’s a sense of twisted melody and aggressive vision that fully begins to sell the dark creative vision of the whole album. You start to experience strands of Thrash, Groove and Blackened Stoner Metal starting to form which reminds me of acts like WHORES, EYEHATEGOD and CHAT PILE along the way. 

There’s a lot to break down on the album with Blunt Knife Castration playing at a thousand miles per hour which gives a highly dangerous and violent intensity that left my hearing exposed at the best of times so maybe I’m showing my age with this record. Though, it’s still a highly intoxicating mix of Crust Punk, Doom, Thrash and Sludge Metal that puts a refreshing spin on such a highly volatile time if you grew up in Eighties Britain when the Video Nasties scene was in full flight. 

Other great tracks to check out are Lone, Guilt Pig, Swallow, Play Victim, Coward and Skinny Fingers which is where the heaviest, thickest and sickest grooves appear. There’s also a lot of great humour and tough real life scenarios to experience with the bands lyrics within these tracks with Blunt Knife Castration being quite subversive with the whole storyline that they’ve created for Blood & Oil.

The record is a punishing experience and won’t be for everyone but if you’re into this particular style of Sludge Metal then you’re going to be in your element as Blood & Oil fully delivers in the riffs department and more so with its breathtaking style of Extreme Metal. The added layers of GRIME and FILTH is the icing on the cake with Blunt Knife Castration perhaps setting themselves as a FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH in the next few years for the UK Sludge Metal scene if they keep making great records such as this in the near future.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the promo.

Blood & Oil is available to buy now on CD/DD via Remorseless Records.

Links 

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

UK Sludge Metallers UK Blunt Knife Castration release new single "Play Victim" from upcoming new album "Blood & Oil" out February 27th

Blunt Knife Castration is the sludge metal project led by Simon Bryant based out of Kent in the UK. Drawing influence from the sleaze and general smut of the horror movies and video nasties of the 70s/80s together with the underground extreme music of the 90s and 00s, BKC blends aspects of metal, noise rock, doom, and crust punk, and drowns them all in sludge.

Wasting no time to keep BKC’s pipeline of filthy riffs flowing, LP “Blood & Oil” follows 2025 debut album “Live Fast Die Slow”.

Says Simon, “I consider ‘Blood & Oil’ to be the next evolution of the BKC sound, going into a slightly more noisier and darker side while still being undeniably sludge metal, and based on elements of crust punk, doom and groove metal throughout. These 11 new tracks feature lyrical themes of mental illness, isolation and general misanthropy.”

Two singles Lead single “Guilt Pig”  and “Play Victim” are both playing below:

Guilt Pig

Play Victim

The band is also currently in the process of getting more members on board to be able to bring BKC out on the road for live shows in the very near future. Kent and UK neighbors of a more delicate sonic persuasion beware, these riffs won’t come out in the wash.

Blunt Knife Castration - "Blood & Oil"

Album out February 27th, 2026
CD (Remorseless Records), Digital
Kent, UK
FFO: Today Is The Day, Dystopia, Eyehategod, Swans, Buzzov.en, Leechmilk, Chat Pile, Meatjack and Idiot Child
Artwork by Paul Van Trigt

Tracklist:

1. Miasma (1:48)
2. Gunshot Selfie (3:43)
3. Degeneration (4:05)
4. Lone (3:22)
5. Guilt Pig (4:39)
6. Swallow (6:00)
7. Play Victim (5:21)
8. Blood & Oil (3:39)
9. Menial Mutt (4:01)
10. Coward (3:05)
11. Skinny Fingers (7:54)

Links:

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the details.

Hooded Menace - Lachyrmose Monuments of Obscuration (Album Review)

Release Date: October 03rd 2025. Record Label: Season Of Mist. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration - Tracklisting

1. Twilight Passages (1:04)

2. Pale Masquerade (7:50)

3. Portrait Without a Face (7:15)

4. Daughters of Lingering Pain (7:25)

5. Lugubrious Dance (7:20)

6. Save a Prayer (6:12)

7. Into Haunted Oblivion (9:47)

Members

Harri Kuokkanen — Vocals

Lasse Pyykkö — Guitar, Bass, Keyboards

Pekka Koskelo — Drums

Review

Hooded Menace continue their journey into the depths of Extreme Meal with their trademark style of Death Metal and Doom Metal combining for a punishing round of CLASSIC HEAVY METAL and pulsating melodies within the seventh full length album Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration. There’s something for everyone with Hooded Menace playing strands of Melodic Death, Psych, Prog, and Groove Metal which sees them perhaps deliver their most commercially appealing record to date but still keeping their legendary status of Death Dealers of the highest order intact.

The seven tracks on offer here allows Hooded Menace to play that intense style of NWOBHM guitars that reminds of bands such as IRON MAIDEN and METALLICA in places but with a unique style of Death Metal keeping everything firmly on the right side of darkness. The technical riff-wizardry is beyond spectacular which appears very early on the record after the superb opening instrumental track of Twilight Passages. After that song disappears, Hooded Menace transform into riff-hungry MONSTERS delivering an excellent blend of Progressive and Theatrical passages on tracks such as Pale Masquerade and Portrait Without A Face.

Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration does feel that Hooded Menace are going back to their roots while embracing a more vibrant Post-Doom charge with the flashes of psychedelic surroundings. The vocals are mostly Death Metal based but they’re easy to fully understand with Harri’s own spectacular form and putting in a committed and commanding performance. 

The record works at its best when Hooded Menace lean into a softer and laid-back style of music which allows the more highly technical aspects to be more grounded and quite accomplished which the band have become experts at over the last couple of records they’ve released. Up next is the the tracks of Daughters Of Lingering Pain and Luguburious Dance which sees the Death Metal charge take complete control with the hidden levels of Doom & Gloom conjure up warped melodies once more but with quite an emotional kick. The music moves from classic Eighties Heavy Metal right upto modern day Blackened Death & Roll attitude with thrilling orchestral music being played along the way.

The biggest surprise from the record is the band’s surprising choice of cover with Hooded Menace selecting the DURAN DURAN classic track Save A Prayer. This is wholly different to the original as it’s full on Death/Doom Metal makeover that’s complete with fast-paced technical beatdowns and grinded rhythms though it’s the work of  Lasse Pyykkö (Guitar, Bass, Keyboards) and Pekka Koskelo (Drums) that steal the show here. As they transform a new wave/synth-pop classic into a thunderous Doom/Death Metal anthem. Harri’s vocals add their own unique spin compared to that of the legendary Simon Le Bon.

The final track of Into Haunted Oblivion is classic HOODED MENACE through and through which is the most “old-school” track on the whole album with the band playing an almost ten minutes epic that is one of the standout tracks on the album. This is the type of music that the band made their name with and it’s an epic conclusion to an outstanding record with the heaviest and insanely fast-paced grooves on the whole record. 

Lingering Pain and Luguburious Dance is another huge sounding and essential record from Hooded Menace which sees them firmly establishing their “LEGENDARY” status within the Death/Doom Metal scene and they still have the power to surprise fans of their music once more.

Words by Steve Howe

Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Season Of Mist.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram