From the Slovak sepulchre, HROB emerge with their debut full‑length “Brána chladu”, a work of crushing death/doom forged in dense atmospheres, suffocating heaviness and a cold, desolate vision. Released through the spanish label Memento Mori, the album stands as a stark monument to decay and existential ruin.
1. Intro 01:25
2. Chrám prázdnoty 07:15
3. Tiene stromov 05:31
4. Genocída snov 06:19
5. Medzihra 01:16
6. Zotročený oheň 05:58
7. Brána chladu 09:00
Release date: April 27th, 2026 via @memento.mori.label
Wednesday, June 22: Runemagick, “In the Sign of the Dragon Star”
Runemagick was often described as “ultra-heavy metal”, and tracks like the remarkably titled “In the Sign of the Dragon Star” certainly made the case for that label. Besides its unwieldy length, the churning guitars and Niklas Rudolfsson’s goth/doom/death vocals gave the number an oppressive weight. It was almost too much, but Daniel Moilanen’s intelligent drumming provided a nice mix of momentum, dynamics and atmosphere. Into Desolate Realms was actually Runemagick’s tenth album, so it was something of a marvel that they were able to maintain this sound for over 20 years with such consistency, but if nothing else “In the Sign of the Dragon Star” showed that there was still something distinct and powerful about their approach.
Atmospheric/Melodic Death Metal from Newington, Connecticut, US
Connecticut-based melodic/melancholic death metal band Fires In The Distance released their album “Circadian Promise” on 12 June via Prosthetic Records.
With their third album, the band has taken their melancholic, synth-heavy style to new, cathartic heights. “Circadian Promise” is virtuosic yet visceral, progressive but always authentic, and confirms Fires In The Distance as a rising force in the genre. Founding guitarist and songwriter Yegor Savonin said:
“Our music springs from raw emotions. Each new album depicts a different experience and phase of life, with the sound and atmosphere evolving accordingly.”
With new singer and guitarist Brendan Hayter, the album is undoubtedly Fires In The Distance’s darkest and most comprehensive to date – thoroughly captivating and without a single filler track, even though some of the six tracks run to over nine minutes.
1. Of Radiance and Levitation 09:27
2. To You, Author of My Fade 09:03
3. Lightless Days of a Songless Bird 08:49
4. By This Time Tomorrow 05:05
5. Once the Silence Takes Your Place 08:59
6. Agonal Dreaming 07:57
Release date: June 12th, 2026 via @prostheticrecords
Qroba means “Vanishment”. It is a story of coming to terms with the inevitable, told through melancholy and contemplation.
The fifth full-length album by Ennui blends atmospheric funeral doom and death metal with Georgian poetry and the spirit of the land it was born from. Slow, heavy rhythms, cold harmonies, and haunting melodies evoke a descent into stillness, where pain and peace become one.
This is music about the beauty of disappearance, majestic, inevitable and timeless.
1. Antinatalism 10:37
2. Becoming Void 14:56
3. Decima 11:25
4. Down to the Stars 14:21
5. Mokvda Mze. 11:20
Release date: February 27th, 2026 via @meusemusicrecords
The Dying Embers was born in the beginning of 1997.
Its purpose was to create a special kind of music using gothic lyrics; dark haunted melody connected with the "darkness" of Heavy Metal.
1. The Arrival of Ancient Ones (intro) 01:26
2. Lake of Tears 05:49
3. Cry of Innocence 07:01
4. Nocturnal Desires (my erotic lover) 05:53
5. The Beast and the 7 Wolves 08:05
6. Last Embrace 04:57
7. Legacy 07:04
8. Silence 05:15
9. Cry of Innocence 07:15