2026 Black Metal Chronicles
Gonna try and add releases as I listen to them. Let's gooooo! |
| 1 |  | Black Usurper
Echoes From Beneath
4/5 |
| 2 |  | The Ruins of Beverast
Tempelschlaf
4.2/5 |
| 3 |  | Black Hurst
Purgatory of Flesh Bizarre
4/5 |
| 4 |  | Archvile King
Aux Heures Désespérées
4.4/5 |
| 5 |  | Barbarian
Reek of God
3.4/5 |
| 6 |  | Rotting Christ
Aealo (Re-recorded)
4/5 |
| 7 |  | Mol
Dreamcrush
3.5/5 |
| 8 |  | Mayhem
Liturgy of Death
2.7/5 |
| 9 |  | Worm
Necropalace
4.5/5 |
| 10 |  | Coscradh
Carving the Causeway to the Otherworld
4.1/5 |
| 11 |  | Trespasser (SWE)
יְהִי אוֹר
4.1/5 |
| 12 |  | Silver Wings
Hanging Star in the West
3.8/5 |
| 13 |  | Fire Magic
Memories of Fire
4/5 |
| 14 |  | Bosse-de-Nage
Hidden Fires Burn Hottest
4.5/5 |
| 15 |  | Blackbraid
Nocturnal Womb
3.7/5 |
| 16 |  | Selvnatt / Draugveil
Blades & Roses
3.6/5 |
| 17 |  | Iron Firmament
In The Land of Pre-Human Kings
4.2/5 |
| 18 |  | Epigram (USA-CA)
Obsolescent
3.8/5 |
| 19 |  | Gaerea
Loss
3.2/5 |
| 20 |  | Hellripper
Coronach
3.3/5 |
| 21 |  | Malauriu
The Third Nail
3/5 |
| 22 |  | Kekht Arakh
Morning Star
3.1/5 |
| 23 |  | Serpent Lord (USA-WA)
The Once Forgotten Ways of Old
4/5
Thoroughly enjoyable melodic and somewhat ritualistic black metal. It's almost too polished to really fully nail the magic that early Serpent Lord releases had, but it's a very good album nonetheless. It took a while to grow on me but subsequent listens reveal the depth of production and songwriting on here and it slaps.
Background: I'm listening to older demos from the early 2000s from Serpent Lord and some of them are very good, possibly even exceeding Ceremonial Castings. Go listen to The Order of the Snake right now. |
| 24 |  | Sisyphean
Divergence
3.7/5
Is good. There are some really interesting bits but overall it's a serviceable black metal album. |
| 25 |  | Ultha
A Light So Dim
4.1/5
Atmospheric, bleak and expansive. Gotta love that USBM has become so prominent that Europeans are making versions of it. |
| 26 |  | Lomsk
Act II - Of Iron and Blood
3.6/5
Solid meloblack outing that doesn't really bring anything new to the table, but still enjoyable. |
| 27 |  | Aldheorte
The Wild Divine
3.4/5
It's certainly a black metal album but nothing you haven't heard before. |
| 28 |  | Mammon's Throne
My Body to the Worms
3.2/5
Started out strong and just kept bleeding points, largely from some cheesy lyrics and too much boring groove metal riffing. |
| 29 |  | Malum (NOR)
From the Voids |
| 30 |  | Nahtrunar
Sphären |
| 31 |  | Aedel Fetich
Ædel Fetich
3.4/5
I don't know exactly what to make of this but it's definitely one of the more interesting. It's freaky, punky black metal with a vocal performance that veers from traditional screams, to Cultes des Ghoules chanting and to almost 80s new wave at times.
update: I was initially really impressed with this, but after more listens some problems start showing up. Mainly the uneasy marriage between punk and black metal that so many bands who attempt this style fall into. They never overcome the tension between short punk songs and the longer form that black metal usually favors. But they do make up for it with an unhinged performance. Guitarwork and drums are mid, bass and vocals are outstanding. Interested to see where they go next. |
| 32 |  | Diabolus, Mecum Semperterne!
Diabolus, Mecum Semperterne!
4.1/5
This is some real evil sounding shit with some eastern orthodox flair. |
| 33 |  | Possession (BE)
The Mother of Darkness |
| 34 |  | Uada
Interwoven
3.4/5
I'm sure lots of people are going to hate this but I actually dig it. My major quibbles are with the vocals, and the lyrics don't always work as well when you can easily understand them, but the instrumentals create a thick and depressing vibe it's hard not to get sucked in. |
| 35 |  | Conifere/Vesperal
À Double Tranchant
4/5
Conifere kills it per ush and the Vesperal track is no slouch either. Usually short little EPs only get 3.5s from me but this one slays. |
| 36 |  | Dudsekop
Kwelling
3.3/5
Has some fun moments but the final track is somewhat wasted on atmosphere alone. These guys' debut was pretty killer, but their sophomore album was too focused on chasing standard black metal tremolos at the expense of the cool hardcore-tinged passages that make them pop. One too keep an eye on though. |
| 37 |  | Cnoc An Tursa
A Cry for the Slain
4.1/5
Scottish meloblack that roolz. Go check it out now. |
| 38 |  | Black Usurper
Saturnian Genocide Rituals
4.1/5
Slaps! Go listen now. Another 2026 outing from Sput's own Brabiz with the freak-o-meter dialed up even more. |
| 39 |  | Nagott
Tenebrae Ultra Ferrum
3.9/5
Tremmy evil goodness m/// |
| 40 |  | Drudkh
Thaw
3.6/5
Atmospheric little slice of black metal. You already know what you're signing up for, but it's solid. |
| 41 |  | Oldowan Gash
1000 Dreams of War
4.2/5 |
| 42 |  | Eveale
Enter The Woodland Realm
3.7/5
A cool album that's at its best when it's leaning into fantasy vibes and major chords. |
| 43 |  | Diabolic Oath
Unholy Barbaric Hymns |
| 44 |  | A Forest of Stars
Stack Overflow In Corpse Pile Interface
5/5
wow much atmosphere |
| 45 |  | Pig's Blood
Destroying the Spirit
3.7/5
Band always rules and this is no exception. |
| 46 |  | Haiduk
Archdevil |
| 47 |  | Bogside Sniper Squadron
Bogside Sniper Squadron |
| 48 |  | Caedes Cruenta
Ὅρκος ἐκλεκτῶν |
| 49 |  | Panopticon
Det Hjemsøkte Hjertet
5/5
Might go up to a 5 with more listens.
Update: We 5'in it. What an album. |
| 50 |  | Antichrist Siege Machine
Promo MMXXVI
3.7/5
Absolutely destroys, as expected. Hopefully this means another full length is on the way. |
| 51 |  | Nixil / Drouth
Toward Dead Temples |
| 52 |  | Dimmu Borgir
Grand Serpent Rising
4.2/5
Great atmospheric listen. Makes me want to listen to more of their older stuff to compare. |
| 53 |  | Downfall of Nur
And the Firmament will Burn to Quench the Pain...
4.3/5
Fantastic atmospheric black metal, but the twist is the atmosphere is MASSIVE. Killer record. |
| 54 |  | Lorn (ITA)
Searing Blood |
| 55 |  | Yoth Iria
Gone With The Devil |
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