Weekly Digest, Week 20 / 2026

Some smaller names are really stepping up to the plate this week, among them Atavistia, Defect Designer, Desiccation, Gozu and Tyrannus.

Big releases are almost non-existent this week, with a couple of notable exceptions:

Periphery – A Pale White Dot (progressive extreme metal/metalcore)

Pro-Pain – Stone Cold Anger (hardcore/groove metal)

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TOP PICK OF THE WEEK

Tyrannus – Mournhold

Genre: Black/thrash metal

Subjective rating: 4/5

Objective rating: 4/5

Country of origin: Scotland

It's such a great feeling when a band you have no real expectations for proceed to bitch slap your blasé face, take you by the ear and pull you into a fresh musical landscape the like of which you didn't realize how much you were ready to embrace. On the surface, this Scottish gang might strike you as straight-up blackened thrash metal with a bit of death metal monstrosity latched on, and not much else. But keep listening and they'll keep showing new sides to themselves. There's a whole underbelly of gothic-ish melody with a bit of a spacey feel to it, and it expands their style beyond the expected speed riff bad-assery.

But even as they build on their core sound, they never forget about the thrashing, bitter-tinged, rebellious energy that's actually driving the music. Again and again they reach new highs of energetic, solo-tastic coolness reminiscent of Hellripper and Midnight, and it's done with a highly convincing level of enthusiasm. Some of the slower, doom-leaning sections don't quite hit as hard, but I think that with a bit more maturity we will see them nail these as well.

Highlights: "Seize the Stars" and "Reignfall"

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Atavistia – Old Gods Awaken

Genre: Folk/melodic death metal

Subjective rating: 3.5/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of origin: Canada

Imagine a mashup of Finland's Mors Principium Est and Finntroll, except it's not Ensiferum and it's not actually Finnish, although you'd be easily forgiven for assuming so. Atavistia are now on their fourth original full-length and going full-on pagan warrior on violent adventures. In contrast to 2023's "Cosmic Warfare", which was my introduction to them, the symphonic grandeur has been scaled back and the fun factor tuned up.

"Old Gods Awaken" is just as shred-y and dazzlingly melodic as you'd hope for, without ever really stepping into power metal. The balance between magical playfulness and aggression is handled just as well as you'd hope for, sending your mind straight to the glory days of the previously mentioned bands. Embracing this vibe though, while whole-hearted and producing plenty of satisfaction, leaves very little room for personality. It's a great, tankard-whirling time that puts the band's innovative powers on pause for the time being.

Highlight: "Mystic Tavern"

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Desiccation – Legatum Mortuorum

Genre: Doom/black metal

Subjective rating: 3.5/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of origin: USA

Do you ever get to places, physical or mental, that feel unsettling and alien in a way that makes you doubt you were ever really meant to get there, but something about it is so arresting that you can't get yourself to leave? That's what it feels like to me, being sucked into the soundscape of Desiccation's sophomore full-length. It's like wandering vast, stark, echoing halls of harsh light and deep shadow, and the immensity of it takes on a life of its own.

Speaking more plainly, this is blackened doom metal with a soft, round production that allows for an almost tangible presence of atmosphere. There's sharp aggression and heavy riffs, but also melancholy melody that swells and abates gradually as a river level rises and falls. Not every song takes you to equally rewarding places, but at its best it's both deeply immersive and more directly engaging with its steadfast rhythms and standout solos.

Highlights: "Lamentations Beyond the Veil"

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Gozu – Gozu VI

Genre: Stoner rock/metal

Subjective rating: 3.5/5

Objective rating: 4/5

Country of origin: USA

I'm so happy that there are bands out there like Gozu to prove that stoner rock is more than just half-humorous southern grooves set to rock 'n' roll rhythms. Unlike last week's Restless Spirit, this stands more firmly on the hard rock side, but knows how to bring the heaviness when a bit of headbanging is called for. While not a conceptual-feeling album, it's also not straightforward. It visits doom, heavy metal, sludge, alternative and progressive hard rock, but also never letting its groovy motor choke.  

Personally I find myself losing focus a couple of times as they let the energy wane, and not all of their hooks and melodies are quite strong enough to quickly pull me back in. But If you're looking for semi-heavy crunch with strong writing, that dares to lean outside the box now and then, then look no further.  

Highlights: "Corinthian Leatherface" and "Corvette Summer"

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Defect Designer – Depressants

Genre: Experimental/avant-garde death metal

Subjective rating: 3.5/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of origin: Norway (Russia)

If you think you might be able to appreciate death metal as an experimental jazz experience, then there's hope for you and this album getting along. I came across Defect Designer back in 2024 with their album "Chitin", which I found to be a refreshingly weird kind of dissonant death metal that did itself a huge favor by not taking itself too seriously. This attitude is even more pronounced on "Depressants", as the album makes huge stylistic jumps and stays very structurally loose throughout the entirety of its 56+ minute runtime.

There are a few instances of blackened hostility, but also groove, prog rock, epic melody, alternative moodiness and other variations that make it seem like there are in fact three or four very different bands performing. Coherency is almost non-existent, and only about halfway through do I feel like they come to a vague consensus regarding the general direction they should be heading. Still, there's a lot of cool moments on here, and none of it follows any sort of prog tropes or gives completely up on listenability.

Highlight: "Carte Blanche".

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HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Acid Reign – Daze Of The Week

Genre: Thrash metal

Country of origin: England

Ara – Hohe Tannen

Genre: Ambient/avant-garde black metal

Country of origin: Austria

Arroganz – Death Doom Punks

Genre: Death metal/punk

Country of origin: Germany

Inthraced – Constellation Zero

Genre: Melodic death/power metal

Country of origin: Finland

Lorn – Searing Blood

Genre: Atmospheric black metal

Country of origin: Italy

Port Noir – The Dark We Keep

Genre: Progressive metal/rock

Country of origin: Sweden