Belphegor

Bloodred – Colours of Pain Review

Bloodred – Colours of Pain Review

By Mark Z. on February 10, 2026 in Reviews, Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, 26 comments

“Seeing an album described as “blackened death metal” almost always gets my juices flowing. The problem with that tag, however, is that it can mean anything from weird avant-garde blackened dissodeath (yuck) to Christcrushing necronuclear Blasphemy-worshipping goat metal (fukk yeah!!). But Bloodred are neither of those things. This German band is technically a duo but is really more like the solo project of vocalist, guitarist, and bassist Ron Merz, who’s been enlisting the talents of drummer Joris Nijenhuis (ex-Atrocity, ex-Leaves’ Eyes) since the band’s first releases back in the mid-2010s. I admittedly hadn’t heard of these guys when I saw their name crop up in our promo bin, but I decided to give their back catalog a whirl when I saw Amon Amarth was tagged as a similar artist on Encyclopedia Metallum. MOAR blood for the Blood Gods?

Proscription – Desolate Divine Review

Proscription – Desolate Divine Review

By Dear Hollow on September 3, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, 31 comments

“Last we met Finland’s Proscription, an overwhelming amount of promise was almost as intense as their blackened death attack. While rerecorded songs from their 2017 demo such as “I, the Burning Son” and “Blessed Feast of Black Seth” singlehandedly tamed the experience with jarring simplicity and excessive repetition killing momentum, tracks like “Conduit” and “To Reveal the Word Without Words” were elite blackened death. The promise was insane, causing a bigger stir in the underground than the music itself. While Conduit was solid, Desolate Divine promises even bigger and better.” Stick to the proscript.

Beheaded – Għadam Review

Beheaded – Għadam Review

By Dear Hollow on August 14, 2025 in Reviews, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, 25 comments

“I’m not sure which is worse: to release terrible or forgettable albums. Unfortunately for Maltese death metal outfit Beheaded, it has been the latter for the vast majority of their career. Always releasing competent material but nothing that sticks, their tenure within these hallowed halls has been rife with mediocrity, both 2017’s Beast Incarnate and 2019’s Only Death Can Save You lauded acknowledged for sounding like brutal death metal by the inimitable Kronos – the definition of “mixed” territory.” Some heads are gonna bowl.

Tanin’iver – Dark Evils Desecrate Review

Tanin’iver – Dark Evils Desecrate Review

By Saunders on February 4, 2024 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 18 comments

“Immersing myself in the twisted, feral cauldron of Dark Evils Desecrate and its relentless assault, Tanin’iver appear hellbent on writing the most ugly, evil, and uncompromising anthems as possible to soundtrack a fiery apocalypse. Bells, whistles, and gimmicks are jettisoned for an old school underground sound converging in the dankest underground corners where raw black metal brawls with death and thrash influences.” Dark for darkness sake.

Augurium – Unearthly Will Review

Augurium – Unearthly Will Review

By Dear Hollow on September 13, 2023 in Reviews, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, Deathcore, Technical Death Metal, 30 comments

“Death metal, for all its vast influence, can be a chore. Walls of distortion, thick riffs, and roars all on the same plane of the low and gurgle assault the ears with reckless abandon, and I have long needed breathing room to fully appreciate it. While The Gorilla God Himself prefers it putrid and slimy and the gone-but-unforgotten Kronos prefers it layered and intricate, I prefer a death metal experience that takes me places. Saskatchewan five-piece Augurium is willing to throw their crusty platter of death metal into the ring.” Death on the road.

Interview with: Noise of Kanonenfieber, Leiþa and Non Est Deus

Interview with: Noise of Kanonenfieber, Leiþa and Non Est Deus

By Carcharodon on May 7, 2023 in Interviews, Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, 34 comments

“One gloomy evening in early April, I sat down for a Zoom call with German black metal machine, Noise, the mysterious creative mind behind Kanonenfieber, Leiþa and Non Est Deus. As something of a fanboy—Kanonenfieber’s outstanding Menschenmühle was my 2021 Album of the Year and this year’s Leiþa scored ROTM for January—it would be fair to say I was excited.” Noise exposure.

Whore of Bethlehem – Ritual of Homicide Review

Whore of Bethlehem – Ritual of Homicide Review

By Dear Hollow on March 28, 2023 in Reviews, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, 16 comments

“”Incendiary” is a good word to describe Whore of Bethlehem. I was introduced to the Austin act with sophomore effort Extinguish the Light, which was intense and burning for its time – same with its follow-up. Whether it be the moniker or album title, the cover art, or the fire that the quintet injects into its sound, Ritual of Homicide is incendiary. Fiery blackened death accomplished through the relentless gaze of brutal death, its intensity cannot be understated.” Whores d’oeuvres.

Angerot – The Profound Recreant Review

Angerot – The Profound Recreant Review

By Ferox on March 25, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, 19 comments

“Angerot ventures deep into the Valley of Ov on The Profound Recreant, leaning hard into the strain of theatrical Satanism that ran through their first two albums. We’re defiling daughters here, swallowing other people’s mucous, and slaking the lust of the recently widowed. Choirs chime in to document the various blasphemies, with horns and keys dropping by to add occasional symphonic flourishes.” Devil by the tail.