“Vienna, Austria’s Tarlung has been coughing up thick clouds of resinous doom and smoky sludge since 2013, when, after just six months in existence and having never performed live, they released their eponymous debut album. Now, with two additional full-lengths—2017’s Beyond the Black Pyramid and 2021’s Architect—and some healthy touring under their belts, Tarlung braces to bring their fourth album in nearly five years, Axis Mundi, to the masses.” Coughing up the goods.
“The calendar turns, and what better way to celebrate the coming year than an album that sounds straight out of the late 80s? Austria’s Wildhunt have been slinging out classic thrash/heavy metal since 2011, but have until this year produced only one record: 2016’s Descending. Ten years is a long time to cook up a sophomore record, and Wildhunt via Jawbreaker Records boasts of “a mix of detail-loving, energetic metal and epic song structures” for album number two, Aletheia.”” Tally ho!
“Hurtling into the new year with his heart on his sleeve (and bones on his shirt), Ellende’s one-man maestro L.G. bids to set a high bar for 2026. Zerfall, the band’s first new material since 2022, continues where Ellenbogengesellschaft left off, further polishing the allure of classically infused black metal. Conjuring comparisons to compatriots Harakiri for the Sky and Weltenbrandt, Austria’s Ellende lives somewhere between post and depressive black metal.” Despair is a head crab.
![Pillars of Cacophony – Paralipomena [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Pillars-of-Cacophony-Paralipomena-01.jpg.webp)
“Amidst the routine of our daily lives, it’s easy to overlook the hidden, complex universe that exists just outside our normal gaze. It only takes a bit of magnification to reveal it: a place where cells shift and collide, forming the invisible architecture of existence. Capturing the awe of this biological machinery is a tall order. Yet, Dominik, multi-instrumentalist and mastermind of Pillars of Cacophony, has created a soundscape with second LP, Paralipomena, that does exactly that, exploring the building blocks of life through sound.” Life and death metal find a way.
“After dropping debut EP Romantik I in 2022 and follow-up Romantic II in 2023, Austrian-Hungarian duo Bergfried rides in on a wave of 80s nostalgia to deliver debut full-length Romantik III. At the conclusion of a trilogy, main character Anna tirelessly roams hell in pursuit of her lost lover. During the search, Anna clashes with God and Devil in her quest for love reunited. Bergfried and the Romantik series are the creations of Erech von Lothringen, guitarist on Romantik III and mastermind of Narzissus and Ancient Mastery, among others. While his other projects lean toward black metal, Bergfried forges something entirely different—a rock opera.” Berger time.
“Rauhnåcht’s latest offering, Zwischenwelten, poetically translates to “the worlds between worlds,” and posits reality as a series of crossroads between antitheses, creating worlds unto themselves.” Thesis. Antithesis. Synthesis. All culture produced in German leads to Hegel.
“Certain musical genres lend themselves well to fantasy themes, and Ancient Mastery has its finger firmly on the pulse of several. Perhaps the most recognizable of the many projects of Austrian artist Erech Leleth, Ancient Mastery doubles as a storytelling conduit for the land of Valdura. Doom_et_Al penned a TYMHM piece for Chapter One wherein he heaped deserved praise for the spellbinding integration of triumphant dungeon synth into epic black metal compositions. While we didn’t cover Chapter Two, I personally enjoyed its unexpected pivot toward blackened power metal even more. Upon receiving Chapter Three, I was intrigued to learn that its story is set long before Chapters One and Two, and I was eager to hear what surprise twists Ancient Mastery had in store from a musical point of view.” Master of the niche.
“Most metalheads are nerds. But nerds come in gradations, and the same goes for bands. On a scale of ‘watched Game of Thrones once’ to ‘alternates LARPing and demoscene meets every other weekend,’ solo black metal bands are along the lines of ‘hobbyist cosplayer.’ So it’s a good thing that Sheogorath founder Matej Kollar got his buddy Patrick Pazour to do vocals, as social interaction automatically decreases the nerdiness. But wait, what’s that? Sheogorath is a character from the Elder Scrolls video games? Oh Matej.” Nerds be raging.
“Harakiri for the Sky is one of those bands that is consistently very good but constantly eludes greatness. The Austrian duo’s grasp on melody is second to none, pairing yearning atmospheres with blackened aggression and meditative tempos, resolute in its muscular weight and melodic motifs without devolving into either jadedness nor frailty. While devoted to the style’s trademark slow-burning growth, they constantly avoid the pitfalls of the “post-black” descriptor, refusing to fall into the weak and twinkly shenanigans of their counterparts.” Pitfall Harakiri.
“There’s something extra satisfying about gambling on a completely unknown act in the promo sump and being handsomely rewarded for the biscuit risk. Austria’s Endonomos describe themselves as “epic doom” and on their sophomore outing, Endonomos II – Enlightenment, they unveil a shockingly mature and intoxicating blend of classic doom, post-metal, and death that’s powerful, emotional, and captivating. Part Solitude Aeturnus, part Fvneral Fvkk, part Ghost Brigade and Darkest Era, Endonomos II marries doom’s past with the present in ways that feel organic and unforced, natural and logical.” Welcome to the end(onomos).
