Weekly Digest, Week 14 / 2026

A decent mix of flavors this week, offering a respite from my incessant pushing of death metal, with releases from Apolaustic, Bloody Valkyria, Green Carnation, Toxic Shock and Void Of Light.

There's no massive releases this week, but a handful of familiar faces: 

Corrosion Of Conformity – Good God/Baad Man (stoner/sludge metal)

Nervosa – Slave Machine (melodic death/thrash metal)

Sunn O))) – Sunn O))) (drone/doom metal)

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TOP PICK OF THE WEEK

Void Of Light – Asymmetries

Genre: Atmospheric sludge metal

Subjective rating: 4/5

Objective rating: 4/5

Country of origin: Scotland

As debut albums go, this is an exceptionally strong one. What this Scottish band do is expand on Ghost Brigade-like crunchy and crisp heaviness with contemplative atmosphere and melody, and without overdoing it to the point of inviting tediousness. Everything feels measured, and the transitions organic. It's powerful, hits like a brick but also flows like a firm breeze through tall grass. There's melancholy and vulnerability, but also blackened harshness, although this is, crucially, also not overdone. I hear a bit of Cult of Luna, some Enslaved at their more straightforwardly atmospheric, but also hints of melodeath-like, on-the-hunt aggression, which suits it well. This is a cohesive yet multi-layered album that sets the bar high for the future.

Highlights: "Silver Mask" and "The Passing Hours"

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Apolaustic – No Plenitude Without Suffering

Genre: Melodic black metal

Subjective rating: 3.5/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of origin: Switzerland

This Swiss melodic black metal project knows how to employ razor sharp technicality without slicing apart the grimness. Sure, this isn't the bleakest or most misanthropic you'll come across in its subgenre, but while there's an epic quality to the tremolo-led melodies, it's all shrouded in darkness. It digs its claws into you whenever you start to feel too serene, and lets off when you've been lashed adequately by the hurricane riffs and drums. The lead melodies aren't the strongest, and overall I could've wished for more personality, but it's an impressive debut that hits the sweet spot between tame and chaotic.

Highlight: "Fragments from a Misty Journey"

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Bloody Valkyria – Requiem: Reveries Of The Dying

Genre: Melodic black/folk metal

Subjective rating: 4/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of origin: Finland

When black metal gets all melodic and epic, the "folk" label is always sort of lurking, peeking out from behind the nearest tree trunk. When the black metal is also Finnish, you can practically taste the breath of the folk coming from right over your shoulder. This is at least how I'll justify my applying it to Bloody Valkyria's third full-length, even though, strictly speaking, there's more epic doom and melodic death metal than there is folk. But absent it is not, and it has a distinctly medieval and perhaps surprisingly sentimental flavor to it. If you like the idea of Mors Principium Est clad in armor and draped in black cloaks, wandering steadfastly into the unknown of the great, open wilderness, then this album delivers. A bit too leisurely in the middle, maybe, but still grandiose in the best way and with a very strong finish.  

Highlights: "My Beloved North" and "Always"

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Green Carnation – A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis

Genre: Progressive metal

Subjective rating: 3.5/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of origin: Norway

These Norwegian sad prog metallers are on a roll and already back after last year's "Pt. I: The Shores of Melancholia". For an album with the word "Melancholia" in the title, it's in actuality quite upbeat in comparison to its successor. "Sanguis" is slower, and with several completely calm, acoustic songs and sections, so if you were missing energy last time 'round, you're gonna find even less of it here. Look instead for melodic beauty and imaginative storytelling. The album takes you by the hand and guides you through a living maze of impressions - steadily rather than violently. If you're all sold on the band's style then you'll absolutely love it. If you have doubts, then I doubt you'll be convinced.

Highlight: "Sweet to the Point of Bitter"

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Toxic Shock – Future Is Calling

Genre: Thrash metal/hardcore

Subjective rating: 4/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of origin: Belgium

These Belgian crossover thrashers have been active since 2010, but only now are we getting their third full-length. Let's hope their release frequency increases, 'cause I don't think I'll ever get enough of this kind of crisp, riff-happy, up-yours-attitude goodness. This stuff is all riffs, coarse shouting and eager drums, mostly at groove-centric mid tempo pace. While I appreciate the headbang-ability, I do think the whole album would sound better sped up, or at least with a good portion of more frantic, pedal-to-the-metal speed thrashing. So while it could probably benefit from being a bit more unhinged, I thoroughly enjoyed myself all the way through.

Highlights: "HQ" and "Reborn"

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HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Anasarca – Achlys

Genre: Death metal

Country of origin: Germany

Forlorn Citadel – An Oath Undone

Genre: Atmospheric black metal

Country of origin: Australia

Solnegre – Anthems For The Grand Collapse

Genre: Doom/death metal

Country of origin: Spain

Vanir – Wyrd

Genre: Melodic death metal

Country of origin: Denmark